The Apples of Love and Discord
by Perseus Malfoy
Summary: One last moment with a love. That's all he wants. He never thought he'd have to give so much to have it.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: This thought just popped in my head during Spanish class today, so I figured I'd write it down. I probably won't be updating this as regularly as Not Quite True (I'll probably finish that before three or four chapters of this are done) so don't expect an update soon. Sorry. I don't own Doctor Who.**

Ten seconds. There were ten seconds until the end of the world.

"Come on, come on!" The Doctor shouted, hitting the sonic screwdriver against his palm, willing it to work. The explosion had ruined it, no doubt, but all he needed was a second of life.

"Doctor!" Amy warned, staring up at the blackening sky. Rory was still leaning against the wall, holding up the single Ood that had found them. It seemed lifeless, dead, looking at the sky knowingly.

"Ha!" The Doctor cried, pointing the resurrected screwdriver at the flashing blue and red lights that covered the machine. A crack and a burst of smoke erupted from the walls around them. The entire house seemed to shake. The Doctor looked up at the sky, smiling triumphantly, "Yes!"

The dark shadow faded from the sky, leaving the house buzzing and rocking as it broke down. The Ood glanced at the sky and looked at the Doctor weakly. "She is coming. She returns."

"We should go, Doctor..." Rory said, trying to keep himself from falling under the Ood's weight.

"Oh, right, yes." The Doctor nodded, looking back at Rory as another loud crack resounded through the house, shaking the floor beneath them. The Ood started to stand up, still weak, but capable of walking.

"Alright then, come along!" The Doctor pushed open the door and ran down the dark, blood stained hallways. The sinister "Get Out!" was still scrawled on the walls of the dark rooms, flashing into view with every crack and surge of light. Amy and Rory rushed after him, the Ood close behind. The wind outside howled as the cloud collapsed on itself, but the memories it had plunged into the Doctor's mind were still fresh. Images of his past flashed in his mind with every bolt of lightning. Every alien, every adventure, every companion crowded his thoughts so he could barely think without a vivid memory of Rose or the Daleks stopping his train of thought.

"Doctor, it's coming down!" Amy cried, looking up at the ceiling of the house. The door was mere centimeters away, but the walls were beginning to crumble. As the Doctor looked back at her, a wooden beam fell between them.

"Amy!" He shouted, pushing through the falling splinters and cinders. Her hands reached for his, Rory and the Ood behind her, struggling past the planks covering the ground around them.

The Doctor and Amy's fingertips grazed each other, shards of wood falling on them from above. Amy could hear the creaking of the house as it threatened to crush them any second. "Doctor, it's collapsing."

"Just take my hand, Amy."

"Doctor, I'm stuck." She cried, her voice and hands shaking.

"Amy, listen to me, just hold on –"

A loud crack echoed around them. Startled, Amy stretched for the Doctor, clasping on to his hand and closing her eyes as the house collapsed in on them.


	2. You Still Miss Her

**Author's Note: Alright, here's chapter two! Thanks to you guys that reviewed. I haven't really planned out this story yet, so it's just kind of leading me wherever it wants to go. I guess it can be kind of cheesy at one point in this, but just ignore it. It will come in later, I've at least planned that far. Thanks for continuing to read! I don't own Doctor Who.**

One Month Later

"So, where to next?" The Doctor asked, flying around the TARDIS console and pushing seemingly random buttons. "Past, present, future, planets, galaxies..."

He turned to look at Amy and Rory, leaning against the console. The red headed girl played with the ring on her finger, glancing up at Rory, then at the Doctor. She sighed and said, "Oh, I don't know. Anywhere, I guess."

"The 18th century might be cool..." Rory said, looking at Amy awkwardly. "You know, the French revolution and... stuff..."

Amy shook her head, "The revolution? They'll capture us and have us beheaded in seconds."

The Doctor nodded, "La Guillotine. Plus, I went there a few years back..."

His smile faded as he remembered the moments in the fireplace, the droids, the letter from Reinette. They were never just memories now, after that explosion in the old house a month back. It was like he was reliving them.

"There it is again." Amy said, breaking him away from his thoughts.

"There's what again?"

"That look. You've been getting it a lot lately." She moved closer to him. "Like you're missing or remembering something..."

The Doctor watched her cautiously.

"It started after the house, didn't it? Because it's happened to me too." Amy asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. "I've started remembering things I didn't even know happened. Mostly about other people."

The Doctor looked at Rory. "You too?"

Rory nodded. "I've remembered all kinds of things. Even from when I was younger, like _really_ young."

"Nine hundred years worth of memories." Amy said, studying the Doctor's face. "No wonder you're not feeling well."

"Do you want to talk about it or something?" Rory asked carefully. Amy and the Doctor stared at him. "Okay, nevermind."

The Doctor smiled sadly, turning back to the console. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

Amy still watched him. After a moment, she said, "There were others, weren't there? Like us? People who travelled with you?"

He looked up at her, hesitating.

"What, you think I'll be jealous?" She smiled teasingly.

He watched her for a moment. "Yes. There were... others."

He hoped Amy would stop prying, but he knew she wouldn't.

"What happened to them?"

The Doctor looked at her sadly. "I lost them. They left me behind, forgot me..."

"Why would anyone leave this?"

"Not all of them did it... willingly." He sighed, wishing she'd stop asking.

Amy paused for a moment, then began again, more hesitant this time, "Is that going to happen to us, then, Doctor?"

The Doctor stared at her, a vivid memory clouding his thoughts.

"_I've been to the year five million, but this, this is really seeing the future- you just leave us behind!" Rose looked hurt, wanting the Doctor to tell her it wasn't true. "Is that what you're going to do to me?" _

"No. Not to you." The Doctor said, echoing his memories.

The smile returned to Amy's face. "Good. Alright then, let's go somewhere fun. Get our minds off of all this stuff."

"Right!" The Doctor sprung up, happy to be off of the subject, yet still thinking of Rose. "So, how about a fair or carnival? Those are always fun."

"Yeah, I'd like to see you on a roller coaster." Amy laughed, standing next to the Doctor.

He smiled and started the TARDIS. Within minutes he was opening the doors to a red and gold draped fair, complete with rides and fried foods. Amy jumped out excitedly after the Doctor, dragging Rory along.

"What year is this?" She asked, glancing around.

"2020, Connecticut. We're in America." The Doctor said, looking up. They stood in front of a large ferris wheel surrounded by dozens of smaller rides and stands. "Oh, a fun house! I love those."

Amy and Rory followed the Doctor towards a colorful building with slides and moving stairs on every side. As they came closer to the line, a voice called out to them.

"You still miss her."

The Doctor turned around slowly, looking for the source of the voice.

"Don't you, Doctor?" A young girl had spoken, only fifteen or sixteen year old. She sat in a booth behind him, smiling at his incredulous look. A sign above the booth read "Caramel Apples".

"What?" The Doctor said, moving closer to her.

"You heard me." The girl said, pushing her long black hair out of her face. "All these sudden memories have brought her back into your thoughts, haven't they? You still want her back."

"What are you talking about?" The Doctor asked, standing in front of the girl and studying her face.

"You know what I'm talking about." Her brown eyes were full of mischief and excitement at having gotten his attention. "I can bring you back to her."

"Doctor, what's she talking about?" Amy asked, staring at the girl.

"Who are you?" The Doctor said, ignoring Amy's question.

"I am Maia."

"Yes, but what are you?"

"Oh, I'm no alien. I'm just as human as everyone else here." She replied.

The Doctor hesitated. "Alright, then. What are you suggesting I do?"

"Buy an apple." The girl said plainly. The Doctor stared at her. Still smiling, she placed four golden apples on the counter in front of him. She leaned forward and whispered so that only they could hear her. "The apples of love and discord."

The Doctor stood back and nodded.

"What's that? What are the apples of love and discord?" Rory asked.

"They're from the ancient Greek myths. Three golden apples were given by Aphrodite to a young man so he could win a girls heart. The apple of discord was offered to Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera by a man named Paris. The goddesses didn't know that it was the apple of discord. He said that the fairest goddess would have the apple. They fought over the apple, and soon after the apple was given to Aphrodite a war broke out." The Doctor looked up at the girl. "So, what am I supposed to do with them?"

"Offer them to her." The girl said, leaning back. "I can bring you back to her easily."

"Easily? She's in a parallel universe!" The Doctor cried, coming closer.

"I have my ways." The girl smiled. "You've seen the cracks haven't you? The cracks in time and space?"

"I closed those cracks."

"One remains open. It sealed itself a while back, but it reopened several days later. It was like something had forced it back open." The girl looked at each of them in turn. "That crack is connected to her universe. You can get to her through it."

The Doctor studied her. "Well, if I can get to her that easily, why do I need your apples? Why couldn't I just go now?"

"The apples are the key to the crack. You can't get to the crack without my apples." The girl said.

He paused. "So you're just going to give me the apples? There has to be something you gain from this."

"Well, I don't gain from it much, but you lose a bit from it." The girl smiled. "Two things actually. Or else it won't work."

"What?"

"Your voice."

"Ha, what is this? The Little Mermaid?" Amy put in sarcastically.

"You may not speak to her until she's accepted the apples." The girl said, ignoring Amy.

The Doctor nodded. "What else?"

"She cannot know who you are until she has accepted the apples as well."

"That's easy; if he can't talk to her he can't tell her." Rory said. "Who are we talking about anyway?"

"Is there any more?" The Doctor asked.

"It must be done in three days. That is when the crack closes. Otherwise you are trapped there." The girl looked at each of them again. "Though I'm sure you'd like to be stuck there with her now, I'm not so sure about once you've gotten there."

"Doctor, I'm not so sure about this." Rory said, watching the girl.

"Yeah, Doctor, I don't like this. We should go." Amy looked at the Doctor.

"That's it then?" The Doctor asked, ignoring them.

The girl nodded. "Just take the apples to your ship. Place them on the console. They'll do the rest."

The Doctor looked at the apples, thinking. He'd give anything to see her again, but he knew this had to be a trick. Amy had been joking about it being like the Little Mermaid, but she was right. The girl had to gain from it somehow.

What if she didn't want him there? What if she was happy without him? It was wrong to go there. It could rip apart the fabric of time itself.

His hand moved towards the apples slowly as he made his decision.

"Doctor, don't!" Amy shouted, but it was too late. His fingers had touched an apple. The girl laughed and disappeared in a swirl of mist and smoke. The Doctor stared at the place she had been, regret written all over his face. He stood unmoving, realizing what he'd done.

"Doctor...?"

He barely heard Amy's call to him, but it was enough to snap him out of his trance. He grabbed the rest of the apples, turned swiftly, and started towards the TARDIS. It was too late to change his mind now.

"Doctor, wait!" Amy yelled after him, running to keep up.

The Doctor opened the doors to the TARDIS and moved towards the console, ignoring Amy.

"I still don't think this is a good idea, Doctor." Rory said, standing behind him.

"Yeah, where are we going anyway? Who was she talking about?" Amy asked, moving next to the Doctor as he fiddled with buttons.

"An old friend I lost." He answered after a moment's hesitation, placing the apples on the console and looking up at the old monitor. The screen flashed and seven numbers appeared.

"223 9653? What are those, coordinates?" Amy asked.

"No, they're words." The Doctor said, starting the TARDIS.

"Well, what does it say?"

The Doctor looked back at her, his eyes filled with a mix of sadness and determination.

"Bad Wolf."


	3. A London Department Store

**Author's Note: Wow, lots of positive response to the last two chapters. Thanks to everyone that reviewed, faved, alerted, or just read. You're all brilliant. Alright, this chapter was a bit weird to write (I kind of feel like a speed through it and the dialogue is a little awkward) but I was just having a bit of writers block. It's getting better though, so the next chapter will be as good as the last two (hopefully). Thanks again for reading :) I don't own Doctor Who.**

The street seemed deserted, cars parked along the sides and abandoned papers fluttering in the breeze created by the TARDIS as it landed. The Doctor stepped out, apples in hand, and took a look around, rubbing his hands together. Amy and Rory went slowly after him, gazing down the street around them.

"So? Where's this crack?" Amy asked, looking up at the Doctor expectantly.

"Yeah, where are we anyway?" Rory glanced at the shops lining the road. "Is this… this is just London, isn't it?"

"Yep." The Doctor nodded, starting down the sidewalk. "A special part of London, though."

"Well, what's so special about it?" Amy asked, moving a bit faster to keep up with him. The Doctor turned a corner and led them into a tall brick building.

"A department store?" Rory trailed after them, trying not to draw attention to himself in the crowded shop. "Doctor, can't you just explain what's going on?"

"I will in a bit." The Doctor pushed open a door labeled "Employees Only" and led them down several long corridors. Several workers glanced at them as they passed, but the Doctor simply held up the psychic paper and continued on. At the end of the hall, he pushed open the last door and brought them into a storage room full of mannequins.

"Ew, these are creepy." Amy said, glancing at the seemingly endless amount of white plastic statues.

"Oh, you have no idea." The Doctor smiled, moving towards the back of the basement. They met a stretch of wall, severed by an all too familiar crack. The Doctor let his eyes wander across the wall, remembering the moment that had changed everything. Seeing her surrounded by the mannequins, grasping her hand, whispering that one word to her: "run."

"Doctor." Amy's voice brought him out of his memories, leaving him staring sadly at the crack on the wall.

"Alright, so how do we get there?" Rory asked. "Won't it just erase us from history?"

"No, I'm guessing it won't do that. Some must be some kind of pathway, leading to other places… parallel worlds." The Doctor stepped back, pulling a shining apple from his pocket. He held it in front of him, taking the sonic screwdriver out and scanning it quickly. Shaking his head, he handed them both back to Amy and rubbed his hands together. "Now, the question is how do we get through? She said the apples were the key to the crack."

"Well, would it open with the screwdriver? That's how you opened it when I was little, right?" Amy asked, leaning against the wall.

"No, we need the apples- _oh_." He grabbed the screwdriver and apple from Amy, turning back to the crack and scanning it. Holding the apple out in front of him, he ran the green light over it quickly. A bright golden glow surrounded it, spreading along the crack in front of him. The edges slowly opened, leaving them showered in a yellow light. "Yes!" The Doctor shouted, shoving the screwdriver and apple back into Amy's hands. "Amy, keep the sonic on it. I'm gonna bring the TARDIS down here."

Amy nodded and held the small device in front of her, watching him leave. The Doctor bounded over crates and boxes, trying to get back to the TARDIS as quickly as possible. He forced the doors open, leaping towards the console and plugging in coordinates. The next moment he was dragging Amy and Rory in with him, leaving the golden light streaming towards them, wrapping gracefully around the TARDIS and pulling it towards the opening. Stems of yellow glow surrounded the TARDIS, engulfing it in a warm spark. In seconds, the blue box disappeared, a shower of golden light in its place.


	4. The Doctor's Duplicate

**Author's Note: WELL, HELLO THERE. I am _so _sorry for not updating this for months. Life has been getting in the way, writers block has become a disease, and the new series of Doctor Who kind of mixed up my plans for this fic, so I had to re-outline everything. For those of you that are still around, I apologize once again. I've written this and the next chapter so there won't be too much of a wait this time. In other news, DOCTOR WHO'S COMING BACK ON SATURDAY. OH YES. Alright, I'll stop talking now. Sorry, once again! I don't own Doctor Who.**

Wind whipped across the bay as the TARDIS materialized, sending sand into the breeze. The beach was eerily quiet so that the sound of the TARDIS doors opening and the footsteps of the Doctor, Amy, and Rory seemed to echo across the soft ground and rocks.

"Where are we now, then?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, and can you start explaining?" Amy stepped in front of the Doctor, attempting to block his path. He let his gaze sweep across the beach in response, taking everything in.

"Dårlig Ulv-Stranden." He replied, a sad smile growing on his face.

"Dalek what?" Amy asked.

The Doctor gave a small laugh and answered, "Bad Wolf Bay. We're in Norway. Well, a parallel Norway."

"Doctor, please, just explain what's going on." Amy watched him as he turned in a circle, his eyes flicking across the sand. 'What are we here for?"

"An old friend. Used to travel with me, like you two. She got stuck here… I left her here."

"Why?"

The Doctor stopped and looked at Amy, studying her closely. "I…" He blinked, looking from Amy to Rory. "…I had to." He turned quickly and started up the beach.

"So," Amy quickened her pace and walked next to him, "what's her name?"

He glanced down at her, then looked back up the beach. "Her name was Rose. Rose Tyler."

"Hm. There have been others though. What's so special about Rose?" A smirk formed on her face. "Did you fancy her, Doctor?"

The Doctor grinned in response as they reached the top of the beach, glancing around them. "Where would she be, then? She said she wanted to work at Torchwood."

"Torchwood?"

The Doctor ignored Amy's question and kept walking towards the street. "Hopefully she lives nearby. Why else would the apples send us here?"

"If she lived here, where would she even be?" Amy gazed along the road. "There's nothing here."

"No, there must be somethi –"

"Doctor!" The Doctor stopped as a shout echoed across the street. An all too familiar shout.

"Rose…" The Doctor whispered, glancing around for the source of the shout. "Amy, Rory, stay here."

"What? Doctor, where are you going?" Amy called after him as he ran down the street.

"Stay there! Don't move until I get back!" The Doctor called over his shoulder.

"Doctor!" The shout was louder this time, obviously coming from over a small hill on the side of the street.

"Ro-" He stopped himself, knowing that if she heard one word, his chance to see her would be lost. He made his way over the hill, glancing back at Amy and Rory before running towards the small cottage on the other side. The Doctor stood in front of the house, letting his eyes flick over every detail as he entered, his shoes creaking on the floor boards.

"Doctor?" He heard another set of footsteps cross the room next to him. "Doctor, it's in here. I've trapped it for now, but I need your-"

The Doctor held his breath as a familiar head of blonde hair entered the room, holding what appeared to be his old sonic screwdriver. Rose looked up at him and stepped back, eyebrows coming together as she studied the odd man in the house. The Doctor opened his mouth and quickly closed it, pressing his lips together in an attempt to hide his smile.

"Well, who are you, then?" She asked, eyes flicking across his face as she crossed her arms over her chest.

The Doctor swallowed, glancing down at his shoes. This was going to be harder than he expected.

Rose stared up at him, raising an eyebrow as she waited for an answer. The Doctor looked up at her slowly, mind racing as he searched for a way to communicate with her.

"Well?" She asked, glancing behind her at the room she'd just left as a low growl echoed across the hall. The Doctor shifted his head, attempting to see past her and into the room. Rose looked up at him, her lips pursed impatiently. "Hey!" She snapped, drawing his attention from back to her. "Ignore that, I've got it under control. Now, if you're not gonna talk to me why don't you get going before I tie you up too."

The Doctor shook his head, pushing past her and into the room.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" Rose called, following him. The Doctor stood in the center of the room, studying the mass of grey flesh and rope splayed on the wooden floor. He stooped down, studying the creature in front of him. The rope was fraying as it struggled, red eyes flicking up at the Doctor in anger. He looked up at Rose in surprise. When had he ever allowed any creature to be treated like this? He pressed his lips together and reached for its bonds.

"Don't!" Rose cried, starting towards him. He pulled at the ropes, glancing up as the creature let out a low groan. The Doctor turned back towards Rose, an accusing looking in his eyes. She looked worried, staring at the creature as it started to stand, breaking the remaining ropes. The Doctor stepped back, standing next to Rose as it took a step forward.

"We have to get out. The rope was the only thing keeping it from changing." Rose whispered, walking backwards slowly. The Doctor nodded, not entirely sure what she meant by 'changing', but he could see the creature's skin starting to bubble, its face starting to contort. He moved backwards until he hit the wall, turning to look at Rose before starting for the door, keeping his eyes on the creature. She followed, watching it over her shoulder. It stepped forward slowly, morphing into a more humanoid shape.

The Doctor's eyes widened as it changed, grey limbs turning to long legs and arms, body morphing into a tweed jacket and bowtie. He stepped back as he looked into the eyes of an exact copy of himself.

The creature smirked, stalking forward quickly. The Doctor glanced down at Rose, who stood frozen with a look of fear on her face. He looked back at the creature, gripping Rose's hand tightly on instinct and starting for the door. He pulled her out onto the road, running for where he'd left Amy and Rory. Footsteps followed them onto the pavement as they ran, gaining on them quickly.

"Slow down a bit." Rose reached into her pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver, running her finger over a small wheel on the side. The Doctor glanced at it and nodded, slowing his pace. She turned the wheel until the sonic gave a small beep, then pointed it behind her at the copy following them. The sonic's light covered the creature, causing it stop. The Doctor turned, looking back and watching as the duplicate was reduced to a grey mound on the road.


End file.
